קטע קריאה לתלמידי כיתות ז Fun facts about the tooth fairy

Linoy Doron , Published on August 2019

August 22 is Tooth Fairy Day in the US. Other than the fact that it’s a super-cool idea (why don’t we have it here in Israel?), it’s also a great chance to learn some things about the Tooth Fairy.

A little bit of history: the myth of the Tooth Fairy goes all the way back to 1908, when the term first appeared in the Chicago Daily Tribune. But it seems that the origins of the myth go even further back to the 13^th century. Northern European texts from that time talk about something called tand-fé (tooth fee), which was paid when a child lost a tooth.

In old times, there were all kinds of beliefs having to do with children losing their teeth, which made people pay for them. Some cultures believed that children’s teeth bring good luck in war, and some people would even hang them around their necks.

Strange-but-interesting fact: In 2011, Canada started making special coins with an image of the Tooth Fairy on them! How cool is that?

When it comes to the looks of the Tooth Fairy, there are many different beliefs. Some say it looks like a classic fairy with wings; some say it looks like an old lady; some say it looks like a bunny; some say it looks like a man; and some even believe it to look like a dentist!

There are also different myths in different cultures that replace the popular Tooth Fairy myth. In Spain, for example, kids believe in a tooth mouse, and in Italy and France too.

Dictionary מילון قاموس

• Tooth Fairy, , פיית השיניים
• Term, , מונח
• Appeared, , הופיע
• Origins, , מקורות
• Century, , מאה
• Fee, , מס
• Cultures , , תרבויות
• Coins , , מטבעות
• Dentist, , רופא שיניים